Amid Wave of Anti-Choice Laws Across US, Warren Introduces Plan to Protect Abortion Rights
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-17
Two days after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a ban on almost all abortions in the state, and with the Republican-controlled Missouri legislature poised to pass its own regressive law, Sen. Elizabeth Warren called on the U.S. Congress to step in and pass federal laws to protect women from further erosion of their reproductive rights. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/news/2019/05/17/amid-wa…

Alabama governor says God backs the attack on women's rights
Kim Chandler, Blake Paterson | peoplesworld.org | 2019-05-17
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. "To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a …peoplesworld.org/article/alabama-governo…

Leaked OPCW Report Confirms What We Already Knew About Chemical Attacks in Syria
Caitlin Johnstone | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-17
(CJ Opinion) — The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has begun responding to queries by the press about a leaked document which contradicts official OPCW findings on an alleged chemical weapons attack last year in Douma, Syria. The prepared statement they've been using in response to these queries confirms the authenticity of the document. …

The Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger Border Triangle Is the New "Syraq" (Syria-Iraq)
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-17
Terrorist groups in West Africa are dangerously trying to transplant the "Syraq" model of transnational destabilization to the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger border triangle in order to turn it into a similarly lawless region like the frontier between those two aforementioned Mideast …globalresearch.ca/mali-burkina-faso-nige…

Russia Denounces Organization of Terrorist Provocation in Syriaplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Moscow, May 17 (Prensa Latina) The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria on Friday denounced the organization of a simulated attack with chemical weapons by terrorist groups in Idlib to blame the government.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Repatriation of extremist fighters and families to Kazakhstan, welcomed by UN rights expert
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-17
Stressing the need for some Governments to reform their laws and policies on fighting terrorism and extremism, an independent UN human rights expert welcomed on Friday Kazakhstan's repatriation of 231 of its citizens from conflict sites in Syria and Iraq, earlier this month.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…

Russia Defends from Attacks and Accusations in UN Councilplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
United Nations, May 17 (Prensa Latina) The Russian permament representative before the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, rejected the accusations launched by the US govermment and other western countries Friday, that pointed out that the Russian actions are destablizing Syria.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Risk grows of 'catastrophic humanitarian fallout' in Syria's Idlib, where 3 million are trapped: top UN officials urge unity in Security Council
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-17
The UN's Political and Humanitarian Affairs chiefs on Friday called on the Security Council to unite in support of an immediate de-escalation of fighting around Syria's Idlib province, and work towards an enduring political solution on behalf of the Syrian people.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…

Who's Behind the Pro-Guaidó Crowd Besieging Venezuela's D.C. Embassy?
Jeb Sprague | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-17
The intimidation tactics by the pro-coup embassy besiegers not only failed to deter the peace activists around the embassy, they left Venezuela's D.C.-based opposition with a serious PR problem. After a week of hateful outbursts, a handful of marketing strategists emerged as de facto spokespeople for the mob.mintpressnews.com/whos-behind-the-pro-gu…

Venezuela Denounces US Seizure of Embassy as Violation of Vienna Convention
Jessica Corbett | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-17
(CD) — Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ron on Thursday urged the Trump administration not to hand over the country's embassy in Washington, D.C. to leaders of an attempted coup after U.S. law enforcement forcibly removed peace activists who have lived there for since last month as guests of President Nicolás Maduro's government. "We denounce these arrests, as the …

Peace Advocates Sue Govt for Objections to Peace Justice in Colombiaplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Bogota, May 17 (Prensa Latina) A lawsuit was filed on Friday before the Colombian Council of State against the presidential objections to the statutory law of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Venezuelan FM Thanks Norway for Promoting Social Dialogueplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Caracas, May 17 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Friday thanked the Government of Norway for supporting dialogue for peace and the country"s sovereignty.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Peace Dialogue in Nicaragua to Continue May 20plenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Managua, May 17 (Prensa Latina) The national dialogue for understanding and peace in Nicaragua will continue on Monday 20, the government delegation to the negotiating table announced in a press release on Friday.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

5/16/19: Chelsea Manning Returned to Prison; Illegal Arrests of Embassy Protectors
Register Peace & Freedom or Green | indybay.org | 2019-05-17
On the same day, May 16, 2019, the remaining 4 Venezuelan Embassy Protectors were falsely arrested by US police who illegally entered the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D.C. and Chelsea Manning was returned to prison as a political prisoner for refusing to cooperate with the witchhunting grand jury, and this time, the reactionary Judge Anthony Trenga added the threat of daily fines of up to $500 a day after 30 days and rising to $1000 a day after 60 days. We heard not a peep of opposition to these reactionary actions by Nazi Trump from the Democratic Party candidates for president.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/17/1882346…

War and Peace: Bolton and Trump Tell a Confused Story About Possible Military Action against Iran
John Mecklin | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-17
The New York Times reported earlier in the week that top Trump administration national security officials asked for and received a briefing on military plans that would send some 120,000 US troops to the Middle East should Iran take aggressive …globalresearch.ca/war-peace-bolton-trump…

China Calls to Peacefully Resolve Venezuela Issueplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Beijing, May 17 (Prensa Latina) China has called on Friday to strengthen efforts between the Venezuela government and opposition to achieve a peaceful resolution to the situation there, by emphasizing its position of non-meddling in the internal affairs of the South American nation.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Colombia's FARC Jesus Santrich Injured, Unable to Leave Prisontelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-17
Despite Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace, JEP, ordering the Office of the Attorney General to immediately release Seuxis Paucias Hernandez, better known as 'Jesus Santrich' Wednesday, the former leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) remains imprisoned in La Picota prison. | Santrich released a handwritten note to the media Friday morning making four points, the first that the JEP ordered his release at 9: 45am Wednesday morning but that as of 11: 00am Friday he had not been released from jail. The former FARC commanders says the prison director is is "refusing to address his lawyer…telesurenglish.net/news/Colombias-FARC-J…

Cuba Ratifies Cooperation with IAEA for Peaceful Endsplenglish.com | 2019-05-17
Havana, May 17 (Prensa Latina) Cuba"s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez asserted on Twitter his country"s willingness to continue working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote the use of nuclear technologies for peaceful ends.www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id…

Democrats Running for President Are Waking Up to the Danger of War With Iran
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-05-17
Four of the seven senators who've joined the 2020 race have signed onto a bill that would prohibit the U.S. military from spending money to attack Iran.theintercept.com/2019/05/17/iran-war-con…

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (Book)
Bernie Sanders | nationofchange.org | 2019-05-17
NationofChange BookClub Pick In 2016, Senator Sanders, the longest-serving independent in the history of the Congress, took on the entire Democratic Party establishment. The pundits had dismissed his campaign from the start, but by the end, it was clear just how wrong they were. Bernie had run one of the most consequential campaigns in the …nationofchange.org/2019/05/16/our-revolu…

Uncle Sam Needs Our Help Again?
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-17
Earlier in 2019, the US Congress utilized its power to wage or not wage war and voted to end US involvement in the Saudi Arabian war in Yemen. Donald Trump vetoed the bill and it died. Meanwhile, the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies were ramping up pressure on the nations of Venezuela and Iran. Other…counterpunch.org/2019/05/17/uncle-sam-ne…

Sanders Launches Petition Urging Lawmakers to Block Military Action Against Iran Without Congressional Approval
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-17
As heightened tension between Washington and Tehran continues to provoke warnings of potential war, Sen. Bernie Sanders released a petition as part of his presidential campaign Thursday calling on federal lawmakers to "pass legislation that would prohibit military action against Iran without congressional approval." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/news/2019/05/17/sanders…

Ocasio-Cortez lays into drug company CEO, telling him to his face that his greed is killing people
Bryan Wall | thecanary.co | 2019-05-17
US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has railed against the CEO of a drug company and by extension the private healthcare industry. She argued that health is treated like a com…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/05/17/ocasio-cortez-lays-into-drug-company-ceo-telling-him-to-his-face-that-his-greed-is-killing-people/

Immigrant Activists Maru Mora-Villalpando & Ravi Ragbir Keep Speaking Out Despite Deportation Threat
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-17
President Trump has unveiled plans for a new, so-called "merit-based" immigration system that would prioritize "highly-skilled" and English-speaking workers, while further restricting asylum seekers and immigrants who have family living in the United States. Although no legislative details for the plan have been revealed, Trump's proposal is likely to hit a wall in Congress, where the Democratically-led House has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy. Trump's immigration policies have led to dire conditions for asylum seekers to the U.S. On Wednesday, a two-and-a-half year-old m…www.democracynow.org/2019/5/17/immigrant…

Congress Wants to Steal $1.68 Billion from Iran
Kurt Nimmo | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-17
It's not enough to want untold thousands to die and the country destroyed, now neocons in Congress want to steal more than a billion and a half dollars from Iran as compensation for something somebody else did or didn't do….globalresearch.ca/congress-wants-steal-1…

NAACP and Civil Rights Groups Hold Rally on the 65th Anniversary of Brown v. Board
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-05-17
On May 16, NAACP along with civil rights organizations and members of Congress held a rally on Capitol Hill to make the promise of Brown v. Board of Education a reality for all. In honor of the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, speakers addressed the still urgent struggle for education equity as well …naacp.org/latest/naacp-civil-rights-grou…

SEP/IYSSE public meeting in Colombo on Sri Lankan emergency declarationwsws.org | 2019-05-17
The meeting will discuss the revolutionary socialist perspective needed to defend the democratic and social rights of working people.www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/17/slmt…

Grabby Joe and the Problem of Environmental Decline
Rob Urie | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-17
The American political establishment seems determined to go down in flames and take the rest of the world with it. Under the delusion that neoliberal, neoconservative corpse-in-waiting Uncle Joe Biden is 'what voters want,' the Democratic Party has once again substituted marketing logic for a political program. On the plus side, Grabby Joe's 'Make America…counterpunch.org/2019/05/17/grabby-joe-a…

'Don't get comfortable:' Trump announces record detentions, says migrants will be 'sent home'rt.com | 2019-05-17
Donald Trump has called on Democrats to vote for his immigration reform to fix the 'National Emergency" on the US' border with Mexico, saying that migrants are being detained in record numbers to be repatriated. | …rt.com/usa/459592-trump-announced-plan/

Koreans protest outrageous U.S. seizure of ship
| workers.org | 2019-05-17
Workers World reprints below in full a statement from the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the seizure by the U.S. of a Korean cargo ship. We totally agree that the U.S. has absolutely no right to carry out such an act of piracy against the . . . | Continue reading Koreans protest outrageous U.S. seizure of ship at Workers.org…workers.org/2019/05/16/koreans-protest-o…

Fascist trends in Santa Cruz Government
Elise Casby | indybay.org | 2019-05-17
Activists and myself using the derogatory gesture of the nazi salutes were focused on and reported in the conservative and reactionary paper, The Santa Cruz Sentinel by writer, Jessica York on May 15, 2019. As usual the focus was on the graphic gesture and not the fact that public comment and other forms of democratic participation are dwindling over the years as each mayor, now Martine Watkins takes up the mantle of repression.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/16/1882346…

Springtime for Biden and Democrats
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-17
Summertime is coming; the "debate" season is near. It will not taper off on until the primaries and party caucuses get underway. What a dreary prospect! Take heart, though, in the fact that, in this post-midterms world, with the Zeitgeist moving boldly and unashamedly to the left, some good could come of it. Also, if Joe…counterpunch.org/2019/05/17/springtime-f…

New York Passes a Bill to Ensure No One Loses Their Home for Calling the Policeaclu.org | 2019-05-17
Americans shouldn't be threatened with losing housing because they called for help. | In cities and towns across New York state — and around the country — you can be evicted just for calling for police or emergency assistance. Fortunately, that's about to change in New York. The State Legislature recently passed a bill — unanimously in the Assembly and 58 to 1 in the Senate — to prote…aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/violence-aga…

Philippines: Election 'one of the dirtiest in decades'
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-17
The May 13 Philippines midterm election has been marred by accusations ranging from a lack of transparency, to electoral fraud, vote rigging and vote buying. | Lengthy delays in results being released were blamed on "technical glitches" by authorities. Opposition candidates and parties have refused to accept the results and are calling for the Philippines electoral commission (COMELEC) to be replaced by an independent body. | Nationwide protests have been called for May 17. | Responding to the results, Partido Lakas Ng Masa (Party of the Labouring Masses, PLM) Senate candidate, Jose Pedrosa, wrote: "Consider thes…greenleft.org.au/content/philippines-election-dirtiest-decades

As Abortion Restrictions Sweep the South, Look to Southerners to Lead
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-17
On May 14, the Alabama Senate passed an outright ban on abortion with exceptions only for serious health risks to the pregnant person or a fetal diagnosis incompatible with life. It is the most restrictive anti-abortion measure in the nation, as it classifies abortion as a felony with a punishment of up to 99 years in prison for doctors who perform the procedure. This comes shortly after Georgia joined Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio in passing a law that bans abortion as early as six weeks. | Since 2011, state legislators across the country have passed more than 400 medically unnecessary and politically motiva…truthout.org/articles/as-abortion-restri…

'Envy of the world' or 2020 campaign pitch? Trump immigration plan apparently aims at bothrt.com | 2019-05-16
President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping proposal to overhaul legal immigration to make the US "envy of the world," but basically admitted it amounts to a Republican campaign platform for 2020. | …rt.com/usa/459537-trump-immigration-refo…

'JOKE, NYC HATES HIM': Trump mocks 'beauty' de Blasio's presidential bidrt.com | 2019-05-16
Bill de Blasio is the latest Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential campaign to be mercilessly mocked by the Republican frontrunner, President Donald Trump. He said the newcomer was the worst mayor New York ever had. | …rt.com/usa/459496-trump-mocks-blasio-bid…

The crazy $5.2 trillion fossil fuel subsidy
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-16
On May 11, sensors at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had risen above 415 parts per million (ppm). The safe level is 350 ppm. | This is the first time since humans have existed that there has been this much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and it is well beyond the safe limit. | As 350.org (the name of this climate activist network tells you how bad things are) warns it…greenleft.org.au/content/crazy-52-trillion-fossil-fuel-subsidy

Nicaragua: The War of 2018
Roger Stoll | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-16
Nearly all US regime-change wars (Venezuela, Syria, Honduras, Ukraine, Libya, Yugoslavia, etc.) are wars of deception, fabrication, propaganda, coups and false flags. Sometimes there is a direct US military assault, more often not. These wars are waged by proxies, media puppets, hired hit-men, torturers, rapists, vandals, saboteurs, death squads and criminal gangs, through mock or …dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/nicaragua-the…

"Inside Syria's Secret Prisons": A Harrowing Account of How Assad's Torture Machine Crushed Dissent
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-16
A shocking exposé by the New York Times looks at how Bashar al-Assad's government has jailed and tortured tens of thousands of Syrians since the uprising began in 2011. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, nearly 128,000 people have disappeared. They are presumed to be either dead or still in custody. The group estimates almost 14,000 individuals have died under torture. The detentions are continuing even as the fighting winds down. More than 5,600 Syrians were reportedly arbitrarily detained last year in a 25 percent jump from the previous year. While the Syrian government has denied running a secre…www.democracynow.org/2019/5/16/inside_sy…

Humanitarian situation increasingly dire for displaced Syrians stranded in camp near Jordanian border
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-16
Food supplies are dwindling and the humanitarian situation has become increasingly dire in a camp for displaced people in south-east Syria, a senior UN official said on Thursday, while condemning ongoing airstrikes and retaliatory shelling in opposition-held territories in the north-west.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…

The propaganda multiplier: how global news agencies and western media report on geopolitics
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-05-16
In this case study, the geopolitical coverage in nine leading European newspapers was examined for diversity and journalistic performance using the example of the Syrian war. | Source…mronline.org/2019/05/16/the-propaganda-m…

Libya, a second Syria?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-05-16
The recent crisis in Libya has resulted in over 500 casualties, and a huge number of people being displaced, leaving the country essentially divided into two parts. The role of foreign countries is extremely critical to the current developments in Libya… countries whose selfish support of domestic groups has led to, and exacerbated the current …uwidata.com/3429-libya-a-second-syria/